Sealing machine



, Sept. 25, 1945. J. E. UNDERWOODl SEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. 5, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. James /zfierwm' J. E. UNDERWOOD lSEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. '5, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENIOR. .faim/.S ndern/aad Sept. 25, 1945.

Sept 25, 1945' J. E.UNDERwooD 2,385,429

- SEALING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 5, 1945 INVENTOR. Jam/5 mzfm/mil BY f ,PM/1 4,; f//I Patented Sept. 25, 1945 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE SEALING MACHINE James E. Underwood, Oalnnont, Pai, assigner to' Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 5, 1943, Serial No. 509,065

9 Claims.. (Cl. 226-86) This invention relates to machines embodying means by which closures may be iirmly seated and sealed on the mouths of containers. It is primarily concerned with improvements and combinations by which a firm seal may be obtained in cases where a sklrted closure is used and the seal is at least partially formed by pressing a portion of the skirt of said closure inwardlyagainst the outer wall of the container to effect firm and relatively fixed contact therewith.

'I'he invention, its general objects and its advantages will be described and explained with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof and in which:

Fig. 1 isa vertical sectional view through a portion of an otherwise conventional sealing machine in which the invention is incorporated in one form;

Fig. 2 is asimilar view of the machine of Fig. 1 illustrating the position of certain parts thereoi' during the sealing operation;

Fig. 3 is a view of the segmental dies which form an element of the machine, said view being taken as indicated at 3--3 in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are partial sectional views showing the relation of the sealing parts of the machine toa typical closure and container before and during the sealing operation.

Since the invention may be embodied in the sealing head of any sealing or container closing machine, the conventional portions of such machines not necessary to the illustration of this invention are omitted or not shown. Such portions include the main frame of the machine, :the base upon which the containers rest, and the various mechanisms for applying movement to the machine parts. Omitted also are such parts as would indicate conventional means for applying heat, vacuum or other treatments to the containers or their contents as well as the means for feeding the closures and containers to the operation and effecting the preassembly of closure on container. The parts and combinations herein illustrated may be used in single or multiple head machines and are equally useful in machines of the hand operated. semi-automatic or automatic types, all of which are well known in the sealing art.

The drawings, therefore, illustrate only the sealing head which is attached to a main frame not shown. A casting or frame carries the parts and instrumentalities which vact and coact to effect a tight seal between a container I and a skirted closure 2. As indicated in Fig. 1, the

as the sealing head is moved up and down, the

same result being secured in either case.

'I'he general and desired operation is to press the closure 2 downwardly upon the container I to effect a tight contact and seal therebetween through the medium of gasket 3 and to thereafter, or simultaneously, press or wipe the skirt l oi the closure 2 inwardly against the outer surface of the container so as t0 fix and hold the -closure and container in tight sealing relationship.

Movably mounted in the fixed frame 5 is the plunger 8 which carries plate 1 which in turn bears many of the operative parts of the head. A collar 8' is fixed on plunger 6 and limits its downward movement by coming to rest on an abutment formed on the frame `5, a gasket 9 serving as a cushion between the collar and said abutment. The plunger 6 movement upward is yieldingly resisted by the action of housed spring I0, the lower end of which rests on collar 8, the forces generated by the compression of the spring under the upward movement of the plunger tending to return the plunger to the position shown in Fig. 1. Plate 1, which is fixed to and moves with plunger 6, carries pressure plate II and the collar-like plate I1, which is herein referred to as a` guide bell. Pressure plate II is shaped on its under side to conform to the shape of the closure 2 with which it is designed to make contact. A recess I5 in said pressure plate is shaped to receive head I 4 of auxiliary plunger I2 which is mounted in plunger .6 and movable therein against the action of spring I3. Downward movement of this auxiliary plunger is limited by stop screw I5 which operates (as shown in Fig. l) against the enlarged plunger end I6.

The guide bell I1,- which is xedly secured to plate T and spaced therefrom, contains a central orifice through which the assembly to be sealed may pass onto the position shown in Fig. 2. 'I'his orice is bounded by the inclined surfaces I8. Elevator ring I9, in which is formed a circular groove 2|, is movably positioned between the plate 'I and the guide bell I'I and normally rests on a surface of the latter. Arcuate die segments 20 have one end loosely positioned in the groove 2I in ring I9 and are there held against rotary displacement by pins 22 which fit in slots 23 formed in said arcuate segments.

The ring I9 is moved upwardly and downwardly between guide bell I'I and plate 'I through the medium of pins 24 fixed in ring I9 and extending upwardly through holes in plate 1, their upper ends being held in the ring 25, whichl rests on the abutments formed by reducing the diameter of the pin 24, by the springs 26 which surround :Jin 24 and are conned'thereon by nut 2.

Levers 29. the pivot pins 30 of which are fixed 'n the brackets 28 which are secured to plate l, have the enlarged end 3i of one arm positioned between ring 25 and plate l. The upper arm of each lever 29 bears against the conical surface 32 formed in block 33 which is fixed to frame 5 in any suitable manner. It will [be noted that the central axis of the cone outlined by the surface 32 is likewise the central axis of the plunger t.

'Ihe operation of the mechanism Just described is as follows: A container i having had assembled vtherewith the skirted closure 2 is positioned beneath the sealing head so that the pressure plate II may move into full contact with the upper portion of closure 2. As the container is moved toward the head assembly, or the head towardthe container, the auxiliary plunger I2 first contacts the closure to firmly hold it on the container as it moves into contact with pressure plate II. Full contact having been established between the pressure plate and closure, the movement continues with the result that the plunger 6 is forced upwardly against its spring it towards the final position illustrated in Fig. 2. Such movement of the plunger 6 forces the upper end of the levers 29 into the restricted space bounded by the conical surface 32, thus forcing the ends 3i of the other arm of levers 29 to raise ring 25 upwardly away from plate l. This movement of ring 25 in turn raises elevator I9 from its seat on the upper surface of guide bell I1, the yielding action of springs 26 on pins 24 preventing breakage which might be caused by over travel of the parts. The upward movement of the elevator i 9 raises the ends of the die segments which are positioned around the periphery of the skirted closure, thus moving the opposite skirt deforming ends of those segments inwardly.

The movement of the die segments 20 and the cooperating elements governing that movement will now be described. It will be noted that as elevator-ring I9 travels upwardly the ends of the dies 20 seated in the ring groove 2i are likewise raised and the segments are moved inwardly in sliding contact with the end 31 of the inclined portion of the bell guide I7 which end serves as a fixed abutment ormeans supporting the die segments during the initial portion of their movement. When an end 36 of a die segment finally contacts the skirt 4 of the closure, as shown in Fig. 5, continued upward movement of ring I9 causes the segments 20 to turn on the pivot of their contact with the skirt (as shown in Fig. 6) until surfaces 35 of the segments contact a fixed abutment, such as that edge of the pressureplate I I indicated at 34, at which time, the abutment 34 acts as the pivot and the end 36 of the segment is forced downwardly and inwardly as the segment is moved upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 7 at which time the sealing operationis complete. Thus the segment end 36 is positively guided inwardly during its initial movement and then forced downwardly in the laterA portion of its movement to press the skirt 4 into'flxed contact With the container surface at a time when the closure 2 is firmly pressed in sealing position on the mouth of the container. When the segment ends 36 have moved inwardly and then downwardly to force and wipe the skirt i into contact with the container wall the further movement upward of the elevator I9 will be resisted by the pressure of the segment ends against the container, but breakage is avoided by the yielding of the springs 26 which allows any further upward movement of ends 3l of levers 29 to be adsorbed in the raising of ring 25 against the cornpressive action of said springs.

After the seal has thus been formed, the sealed container is moved apart from the pressure plate I I. During this movement plunger 6 returns, under action of spring i9, to its original position simultaneously releasing the levers 29 from the confinement of the conical surface 32 and allowing elevator ring I9 to return to its position on the surface of the guide bell il. Die segments 2@ again come to rest on the guide bells inclined surface I8 in readiness for the next sealing operation.

It will thus be apparent that the general object of the invention is to provide in a sealing head a combination of instrumentalities which, when suitably actuated, will hold a skirted closure in sealing position on a container and will deform the closure skirt over an outer wall of the container in such manner that the deforming means moves slightly downwardly over the skirt during the deforming operation. The novel combination which forms the subject matter of this invention is a decided improvement over prior devices designed for this purpose, the improvement residing in the provision of fixed guiding means which positively force the deforming dies downwardly during their inward deforming movement gouthus insuring that the closure skirt is positively and iirmly drawn into contact with the container surface. Therefore, while the downward movement thus imparted to the deforming dies is slight, it is so positive in its guided action as to insure a tight and uniform sealing action which firmly secures the relationship between closure and container originally established by the pressure plate.

Having thus described my invention, l; claim:

1. In a sealing head for securing skirted closures on the mouth of a container, a pressure plate, mechanism for pressing said plate against a closure seated on a container, die segments loosely positioned adjacent the periphery of the skirt of said closure and adapted to be moved initially inwardly :to deform said skirt against an outer wall of the container, means fixed to unyieldingly support said segments during said initial portion of their inward movement, and means adapted to subsequently guide the segments downwardlyover said skirt during a later portion of their inward movement.

2. In a sealing head for securing skirted closures on the mouth of a container, a pressure plate, mechanism for pressing said plate against a closure seated on a container, die segments loosely positioned adjacent the periphery of the skirt of said closure and adapted to be moved initially inwardly to contact and deform said skirt against an outer wall of the container, means xed -to unyieldingly support said segments during a portion of said initial inward movement, and means adapted to guide the segments downwardly over said skirt during their further inward movement, said latter means including an abutment adapted to contact said segments at a point removed from their contact with said skirt.

3. In a sealing head for securingr skirted clo-` sures on the mouth of a container, a pressure plate, mechanism for pressing said plate against a closure seated on a container, die segments loosely positioned adjacent the periphery of the downwardly over said closure skirt.

4. In a sealing head, means mounted to hold a skirted closure on the mouth of a container, die segments having closure deforming ends and arranged to normally present said ends in a position adjacent the periphery of the skirtl` of said closure, means for imparting upward andinward movement to said segments to cause said ends to contact the closure skirt and press it inwarde and an abutment xed in the path of upward movement of said segments at a point removed from the closure deforming ends thereof and adapted to subsequently contact and pivot said segments during said movement to-iorce said pressure surfaces adapted tocontact the skirt ends downwardly over` the closure skirt during the latter part of the skirt deforming operation.

5. In a sealing head for securing skirted closures on the mouth of a container, a pressure plate centered over an orice deilned byseg Y quent inward movement of said dies `to force them f downwardly over the skirt of the closure. said means comprising a portion of said pressure plate positioned to'contact and guide said dies.

6. In a sealing head for securing skirted closures on the mouth of a container, a pressure plate adapted to hold said closure on the con,

tainer, mechanism for pressing said plate against a closure seated on the container, a set of die segments normally loosely positioned below said pressure plate and adapted upon beine raised at one end to move initially inwardly to deiorm the skirt of said closure against the outer wall of the container, an abutment positioned below the path of inward movement of'-said segments to support them during the initial portion of said movement,n mechanism acting in timed relation to said first mentioned mechanism to raise the ends of said segments, and an abutment positioned above segments in the path of upward travel subsequently to contact the same during their further movement to then guide them downwardly over the skirt of the closure.

7. In a sealing head, a pressure plate adapted to hold a skirtedclosure on the mouth of a container, means for deforming the skirt of said closure into contact with the outer wall of the c ontainer, said means including a plurality of movable pressure parts, means for initially moving said parts into contact with said skirt, and means subsequently controlling the direction of movement ofsaid. pressure parts to force the parts downwardly over` said skirt during said movement so as to draw said skirt into contact with the container surface.

8. In a sealing head, pressure means adapted to firmly hold a skirted closure on the mouth of a container, a plurality of movable parts bearing of the closure and deform it against'an outersuri'ace of said container, means for initially moving said parts to force their pressure surfaces into contact with said skirt, and means fixed with respect to said movement and adapted to force the skirt contacting pressure surfaces downward- 1y against said skirt during the deforming operation so as to draw said skirt into contact with the container surface.

9. In a containersealing' mechanism, a pres sure plate, means for moving a skirted closure assembled on a container into pressure contact with said plate, a skirt deforming means comprising a set of segmental dies having one end loosely positioned in an elevator, the other end having the surface thereon adapted to contact the said skirtof said closure. a ilxed abutment adapted to support said segmental dies during a the initial portion of movement thereof, means 'for actuating said elevator to raise the dies at one end and to thereby move them toward said skirt Iandmeans positioned-above the path of travel afield dies to cooperate with adjacent surfacesjof seid dies to torce them downwardly over the closure skirt during their subsequent inward movement.

- JAMESEUNDERWODR 

